Air suction and chaff depositing construction



May 30, 1933. A. H. BOTTORFF ,AIH SUCTION AND CHAFF DEPOSITING CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 5, 1931 E 5 Albert H Daftorff v INVENTOR ATTORN EYS Patented May 30, 1933 UNITED STATES ALBERT 1 1. norronrr, or ST. JOSEPH, MISSQURI AIR SUCTION AND CHAFF DEPOSITING CONSTRUCTTON Application filed October 5, 1931. ,Serial No. 567,026.

My invention relates to improvements in air suction and chaff depositing constructions, and it consists in the combinations, constructions, and arrangements herein de- 5 scribed and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide an air suction and chaff depositing construction for collecting, conveying, and depositing grain shells, chaff dust, and the like.

This construction is particularly adapted to be used in conjunction with hammer mills for cracking grain or rock in which a blower system is used for elevating the'cracked material.

A further object of my invention is to provide a means of the class described which may be operatively connected to the hammer mills having separators associated therewith for separating grade meal from grain chops in which the cracked or ground grain is first lifted upward. My United States Patent No. 1,807,891 on Combined collector and separator for feed mills granted June 2, 1931, discloses a separator of the type referred to. The above mentioned hammer mills and the separators are well known in the art and a detailed description of them is not considered necessary in the present ap-' plication.

A further object is to provide air suction and depositing means for utilizing the air intake of a blower system for the purpose of conveying and depositing shells, chafi, or the like in a receptacle forming part of the suction means.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly 40 pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming part of this application, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a feed mill and" separator showing the device of my invention applied thereto,

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view showing a portion of my invention: connected to the feed hopper of a hammer mill,

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the chat]? box,

Figure 4 is an enlarged elevational view' disclosing the manner in'which the cha box is connected to the mill, and s 5 Figure 5 is a plan view of a portion of the chaff box showing an auxiliary air inlet means which may be associated with the chafi box. p a

In carrying out my invention, I may pro vide a supporting frame 1 having a plurality of legs 2. On this frame may be mounted a hammer mill 3 which may, if desired, be of the type utilized in cracking cornor other grains. The mill 3 may be provided at its upper portion with a feed chute 4'and at its lower portion with a receiving hopper 5. The receiving hopper 5 may be operatively associated with an air blower 6. The feed mill and the air blower may be driven by any suitable means such as a motor 7, a shaft 8, a belt 9, and any suitable gears, not shown. The blower 6 is adapted to drive a blast of air upwardly through an air chute 10 which is connected to an upper portion 11 of a collector 12. Any cracked corn, meals, shells, or dust which may have fallen from the mill 3 will, of course, be carried upwardly into the collector 12. The collector 12 may, of course, be provided with any suitable screens whereby the cracked grain may be graded according to size and permitted to fall into the chutes 13 and 13, the larger size particles being directed into one chute andthe smaller size particles be- 5 ing directed into the other chute.

The collector 12 is provided with an air vent 12 through which the larger portion of the air admitted into the collector through the air chute may escape. The vent 12 may,

ofcourse, be provided with any suitable damper means whereby the output of air through the vent may be controlled.

The chutes 13 and 13 may be provided with tubular extensions 14 and 14:. These extensions may be made integral to the chutes or may be operatively attachedthereto in any suitablemanner. An inclined perforated deflecting plate or screen member 15 may be bolted, welded, or otherwise secured in the extension 14 in any suitable manner. An opening 16 is provided at the lower portion of the screen member through which the cracked grain may fall downwardly after having passed in front of an opening 18 of a downwardly inclined air intake member 17 which is operatively connectedto an air suction tube 19. The suction tube 19 may be operatively connected to a bran or chaff box 20. If desired, the bran box 20 may be provided with a tubular extension 21 and the suction tube 19 may be rigidly secured to receiving hopper 5 and the bran box 20 together. It will of course'be understood that the chaff box 20 and the hopper 5 need not necessarily be positioned adjacent each other but may be connected together by a suitable pipe of any reasonable length. It is only necessary in my invention that means be provided whereby a suiiicient air suction may be maintained in the chaff box 20 and the suction tube 19.

. Now referring to Figure l, the air intake member 17 may, if desired, be provided with a shield 18 whereby any grain falling on the air chute may be deflected into the deflecting plate or screen member 15. feed mill 3 may be made of an air-tight construction except that a small opening is provided whereby the grain may be fed into the mill from the chute l. The position of the grain in the chute 4 serves to provide means whereby any substantial amount of air is prevented from entering the feed mill. This construction is well known in the art and requires no detailed description. If desired, any suitable means may be provided for closing the opening through which the grain is received into the mill when the chute l is empty.

. From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood.

The grain falling through the separator 12, the chute l3 and the extension 14 is dropped on the inclined perforated plate or screen member and of course slides downwardly before the air intake member 17. The force of the air drawn through the openings, in the plate or screen member 15 by the air intake 17 must be su'liicient to suck the dust, grain shells, or chaff into the suction tube 19 in the chaff box 20. Due to The a blower having an air tube for blowing the greater crosssectional area of the chaff box 20, the chaff, etc. falls to the bottom of the box while the air passes through the openings 22 and 23. The chaff box is provided with a hinged door 27 which may be hingedly connected to the floor 28 of the chaff box. The upper portionof the door maybe locked in position by means of a pivoted lever 29. It will, of course, be understood that the hammer mill 3, the blower 6, and the collector 12 may all be of a type adapted to separate rock,'metal, or material of any kind which may be cracked or crushed into particles of varying size.

The bran box 20 may have an opening 30 provided in its top. portion 31 for the purpose of admittingair into the box 20 should the air rushing into the opening .18 be of sufficientvelocity to remove the cracked par- 'cles from the screen member 15. This opening may be provided with a sliding cover member 33 which may be pivotally secured by a bolt 34. The cover 83 may be so disposed as to regulate the amount of air admitted through the opening 30. The opening 30, and the cover .member 33 inay of course be made of any suitable size.

Iclaim:

1.. In combination, a hammer mill for crushing material into separate particles, a hollow upright member, a substantially airtight container disposed below said member, a blower having an air tube for blowing the crushed material upwardly into an upper portion of the hollow member in which the T crushed material is guided downwardly, and

a suction device provided with an air intake tube operatively connected to a portion of the hollow member for removing the dust or chaff from the crushed material, said suction device being operatively connected to the intake side of the blower and including said air intake tube and said air-tight container, the container having a greater cross sectional area than the air tube, said hammer mill 1 being provided with an enclosed receiving hopper communicating with the container and with the intakeside of the blower, said hollow member being provided with a tubu-' lar extension having a downwardly inclined ir. perforated member operatively associated with said air intake tube so that the chaff and dust may be drawn into the tube as the crushed material is sliding downwardly over the perforated member. 2. In combination, a hammer mill for crushing material into separate particles, a

hollow upright member, a substantially airtight container disposed below said member,

the crushed material upwardly into an upper portion of the hollow member in which the crushed material is guided downwardly, and a suction device provided with an air intake tube operatively connected to a lower portion of the hollow member for removing the dust or chafii' from the cruslied material, said suction device being operatively connected to the intake side of the blower, said hollow member being provided with a tubular extension, said suction device having an air intake tube operatively connected with the enclosed hollow container, the hollow container being of greater cross sectional area than the intake tube, the intake tube being provided with a hollow projection extending into the hollow member, said hollow member being provided with a clownwardly inclined perforated shield positioned substantially opposite the inner end of said hollow projection of the intake tube so that the air drawn into said intake tube may draw with it the dust or chaff as the heavier particles of the crushed material slide downwardly over the shield.

3 In combination, a hammer mill for crushing material into separate particles, a hollow upright member, a substantially airtight container disposed below said member, a blower having an air tube for blowing the crushed material upwardly into an up per portion of the hollow member in which the crushed material is guided downwardly, and a suction device provided with an air intake tube operatively connected to a lower portion of the hollow member for removing the dust or chaff from the crushed material, said suction device being operatively connected to the intake side oi. the blower, said hollow member being provided with a tubular extension, said suction device having an air intake tube operatively connected with the enclosed hollow container, the hollow container'being of greater cross sectional area than the intake tube, the in take tube being provided with a hollow projection extending into the hollow member, said hollow member being provided with a downwardly inclined perforated shield positioned substantially opposite the inner end of said hollow projection of the intake tube so that the air drawn into said intake tube may draw with it the dust or chaff as the heavier particles of the crushed material slide downwardly over the shield, the perforated shield, said blower, said container, and the air intake tube of the suction device being operatively connected together to provide means whereby the chaff and the dust may be withdrawn from the tubular extension and deposited in said container.

4. In combination, a hammer mill for crushing material into separate particles, a hollow upright member, a substantially airtight container disposed below said member, a blower having an air tube for blowing the crushed material upwardly into an up per portion of the hollow member in which the crushed material is guided downwardly, and a suction device provided with an air intake tube operatively connected to a lower portion of the hollow member for removing the dust or chaff from the crushed material, said suction device being operatively connected to the intake side of the blower, said hollow member being provided with a tubular extension, said suction device having an air intake tube operatively connected with the enclosed hollow container, the hollow container being of greater cross sectional area than the intake tube, the intake tube being provided with a hollow projection extending into the hollow member, said hollow member being provided with a downwardly inclined perforated shield positioned substantially opposite the inner end of said hollow projection of the intake tube so that the air drawn into said intake tube may draw with it the dust or chafi' as the heavier particles of the crushed material slide downwardly over the shield, the perforated shield,

said blower, said container, and the air intake tube of the suction device being operatively connected together to provide means whereby the chaff and the dust may be withdrawn from the tubular extension and deposited in said container, the hollow container being provided with a door through which the particles deposited in the container may be removed.

5. In combination, a hammer mill for crushing material into separate particles, an

upright hollow member arranged for guidof said air intake tube projecting into the interior of the lower portion of said hollow upright member and being in open communication therewith, the lower portion of said hollow member being provided with perforated inclined means spaced apart from and positioned opposite the end of the air intake tube projecting into the interior of the lower portion of said hollow upright member.

ALBERT H. BOTTORFF. 

